Latest reviews

Stuart Hillston reviewed: Yorkshire Rose stone carving class

"A lovely day at WRSA with Helen, the ever patient and rather wonderful beating heart of what is a fabulous space to learn stone carving - everything you need in terms of facilities and patient tuition. I really enjoyed my day carving a Yorkshire Rose!"

The West Riding Stonecarving Association responded:

"Thank you for sending in such a lovely review Steuart! Hope to see you at the festival 😀"

Victoria Martin reviewed: Willow Piglet workshop

"Bought this as a Gift for my daughter who is mad about pigs. The piglet workshop was a fabulous day, she made a fantastic pig with the help of Victoria. Will definitely be going back to make something else. Thank you Victoria "

The Willow Barn responded:

"It certainly was a fantastic pig :-). Would love to know which name you decided on. Victoria"

Sarah Trott reviewed: Make a silver bangle: An afternoon workshop with Hampshire School of Jewellery

"Really enjoyable couple of hours with a stunning end result. Nice and clear step by step instructions with support when needed. I am so pleased with what I achieved in such a short space of time, all the more happy as I can wear it knowing that it’s handmade by me from scratch."

Hampshire School of Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much for your review Sarah. I am so pleased you enjoyed the Bangle Making Workshop on Saturday and hope you enjoy wearing your new piece of jewellery. Laura"

Bev Scott reviewed: Gelli Plate Printing Workshop by Clare Cosens

"Really enjoyable morning trying something new - Clare was really knowledgeable and the small group setting was lovely - we’ve already booked another workshop!"

Clare Cosens Designs responded:

"I'm so pleased that you both enjoyed the workshop. Your prints looked fantastic! Super detail and beautiful colour combinations. I'm looking forward to seeing you both again soon for the Image Transfer Workshop."

Claire reviewed: Celtic Knitting with June Kerr

"A really lovely evening, thank you June ✨️ I came away with a fabulous bracelet, and not being a crafty person I found the instructions clear and easy to follow. If I was unsure of anything June was more than happy to explain and she checked in on everyone regularly, encouraging and chatting. A thoroughly pleasant way to spend a Wednesday evening!"

Janet Wicks reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Fantastic day exploring glazes and their effects in the Raku kiln. A very relaxed, hands on experience with knowledgeable and hospitable hosts and fellow participants. Highly recommended and good value for money. Many thanks to Janet, Suzanne and Alan."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Janet, Thanks for your kind review - is was a good day with lovely people. Regards, Janet - on behalf of the team "

Tom reviewed: Spoon Carving - Slojd Workshop

"Brilliant course and phenomenal value. Max was an excellent teacher, sharing his passion and years of accumulated knowledge not just about how to carve, but about the materials, the history, the biomechanics, the mental benefits and more. My spoon is drying out before oiling and I’m looking forward to using it! "

Jessica reviewed: Beginners fused glass with Esmary Fused Glass

"We did this course for my Mum's birthday present. Mary was lovely, she explained everything really well and helped us through our crafting. We would recommend anyone interested in glass fusing to do it with Mary."

Mike Parsons reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"An excellent day. I chose this experience because I wanted some freedom in what to make and this was perfect. Arian was a great teacher, taking us through a very satisfying project in the morning which taught us how to manage the furnace and make key features. He had some great ideas for afternoon projects but was happy for us to try something completely different. Lunch was delicious, I'd love to do another day."

Julie Race reviewed: Stained Glass using the Copper Foil Technique

"I can't recommend this course highly enough. Elaine is such a brilliant teacher, very relaxed and encouraging. I was thrilled to bits with the sun catcher I produced. A very special day, I would love to repeat."

Stained Glass by Elaine Alexandra responded:

"Thank you for your review of our day spent together and your kind comments. I would be very happy to host another workshop with you and look forward to maybe seeing you again at some time in the future. Elaine "

Fran Lunn reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach

"Liz and Alison’s talents lay not only in their vast knowledge and expertise but in giving others confidence to express themselves in their own way. Nothing is too much trouble, advise, an extensive array of materials with coffee/tea and homemade goodies always on hand. You certainly come away from one of their “Blooming Days” with much more than you went with. Thank you both for a wonderful day in such a beautiful setting."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Fran, It was lovely to see you again and thank you so much for your feedback ! It is always great to work with you both and to see you both grow in confidence as your work progresses. We look forward to seeing you again . 😊 Best wishes Alison"

Gerry Lear reviewed: Introduction to Traditional Leaded Stained-Glass Course, 2 days

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Jo is a lovely teacher with lots of experience in getting the best out of her students. Her encouragement and patience was welcomed. I found the course very relaxing and friendly. I would definitely recommend this course, a great introduction to stained glass windows. Thank you Jo."

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a lovely review. We are very pleased you enjoyed the workshop and shall let Jo know too. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team. "

Carolyn Burgess reviewed: Stained Glass using the Copper Foil Technique

"I had a brilliant day with Elaine, along with my sister, we were totally immersed in the process of turning pieces of glass into beautiful suncatchers. I love the dragonfly I created. Elaine was a lovely host and very generous with her time and expertise, thank you. I would highly recommend this course. "

Stained Glass by Elaine Alexandra responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave a lovely review. It is great to hear that you enjoyed your day with me and were very happy with the lovely dragonfly which you made. Elaine "

Jane reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach

"Another fun day with Alison and Liz. I loved the vibrant colours we used and there was no shortage of inspiration from Alison's work and the materials provided. There is a supportive and relaxed environment to work in which allows for exploring new materials and methods. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Jane, It was lovely to see you again and thank you for taking the time to review the day. You seemed to really enjoy experimenting with the dyes and achieved some great results so hopefully this is a medium you can continue to experiment with at home. Best wishes Alison"

Emma reviewed: Bookbinding - make a hardback journal and leather notebook - two session workshop

"Another amazing course with Suzy :) Perfectly paced and really well organised, I never felt left behind and learnt lots! I'm really pleased with the notebooks I made and everyone else's looked great too which is testament to Suzy's teaching skills! Highly recommended!"

The Leaf Press responded:

"Thank you so much Emma for this review and to you and your Mum for attending another workshop. It was lovely to teach you both again and I'm glad you are pleased with your books - they were great!"

Kay Richards reviewed: Resin crafting for beginners

"Had an amazing day, learning about resin, creating lots of pieces to take home. My husband was most impressed at what I’d achieved. Scot explained things really well. A bit nervous before I started as I’d heard lots of horror stories on the internet when things had gone wrong. Feel a bit more confident in trying this new hobby at home. "

Black Paw upcycle project responded:

"hi Kay, i'm so glad you enjoyed the day. now it's time to get stuck in and start making amazing stuff at home. have fun Scott"

Anita Thomas reviewed: Giacometti style bronzed animal sculpture one day workshop Suffolk one-to-one or max 4 students

"This course was simply fabulous!! Diana was a great teacher enthusiastically explaining the process and helping at every stage. The day sped by and I was so chuffed with my sculpture. The studio is a great creative space and we enjoyed eating our lunch outside in the sunshine by the lily pond. "

Art on the Edge responded:

"Thank you so much Anita. I really enjoyed meeting you all. It was such a great day for me also. You made such brilliant animals. D x"

Sue reviewed: Resin Art Experience

"Absolutely fabulous day! Eunice is very welcoming and friendly, and is an excellent teacher. She encouraged us to create personalised pieces of work and because the group was small, we all had plenty of help from Eunice - so each of us produced two lovely pieces. Thank you Eunice for such a great experience. "

Eunice J. Friend responded:

"It was wonderful to meet you and Mike, so glad you enjoyed the day"

Di reviewed: Glass Bauble blowing experience with Chris

"We thoroughly enjoyed the course, we each made a beautiful glass bauble to take home. Lovely venue, Chris is very talented, professional and patient. The course is partly outside, luckily we were dressed warmly. Thank you Chris."

Ross Murray reviewed: Introduction to Arc or Stick Welding, with award winning metal artist, Roger Russell

"We had such fun with Roger. My son Jack is 10 years old and Roger was able to introduce him to welding which we thought was great. He is super passionate and an excellent teacher. This 3 hour session is now seamlessly welded into our memories as one of our most top rated experiences together. Thanks Roger! "

High Definition wire sculpture responded:

"Thank you Ross. Glad you both enjoyed your day , All i can say is get a machine, and pracyice, practice , and come back to me if you need help or advice . All the best Roger "

Sally Riggs reviewed: Wild flower and copper foiling workshop

"Wonderful, relaxing and great to learn a new skill. Fion was wonderful and I love my flower picture too!"

Hazel Brindle reviewed: Full day beginners and improves Fused Glass Workshop

"I have been attending these classes for over ten years which is review in itself. I have learnt so much from Julie who is an amazing teacher. The team are always so welcoming and I love attending the classes, they are seriously addictive. The classes are great value for money and I would recommend them to anyone. Come along, have fun, make some fantastic glass and new friends. "

Amelia reviewed: Glass blowing course - taster

"Great day! I’m a complete beginner and Angie & Steve were very supportive and knowledgeable. Looking forward to receiving my glasswork 😁 "

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Amelia, it was lovely working with you. Regards Steve and Angie "

Elizabeth Kelly reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"This was a really successful and enjoyable day with Alison and Liz. The course was extremely well structured so that there were specific tasks and techniques that we were led through and supported with. It gave us the chance to develop our printing techniques -and experiment! The setting is absolutely beautiful and it was lovely to sit outside in the sunshine during breaks. We left with a great sense of achievement. Thank you both very much."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

" Hi Elizabeth, Lovely to hear from you and thank you for telling us about your creative day with us. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you and your enthusiasm was infectious. Gel plate printing is pretty addictive, with lots of opportunities to explore and a wide range of skills to develop, so you're going to have a great time over the next few months. VBW Alison & Liz"

Liz Lambert reviewed: Two day Leaded Stained Glass panel making.

"This was a really enjoyable course. I’ve never worked with stained glass before and was an absolute beginner and rather cack-handed. Laura was incredibly patient, demonstrating what to do and repeating when necessary - quite often in my case! There were 3 of us on the course, Laura was extremely encouraging throughout and shared her time with us equally and when needed. The process and technique of leaded stained glass is complex and I don’t think I’ve fully appreciated the skill and artistry involved - I will be looking through windows with greater respect from now on. I finished the course having completed a small panel which at the start felt unlikely. I would like to do another course with Laura and can absolutely recommend this course to anyone thinking about it. I also got to meet Molly which was an unexpected bonus 🤗"

Laura Barnes Crafty Fox Studios responded:

"Hi Liz... thank you for your review! I really enjoyed the course, too. Passing on this art form is important to me as no college or university teaches it anymore. And you are right, it does make you respect the stained glass windows all about us and see them anew. Your autumn leaf panel was gorgeous and is much admired by my students! You are very welcome to join us again. Laura "